Epigenetic responses and memories of plants under environmental stresses

EPICATCH is a COST Action (CA 19125) whose aim is to generate, share and develop new knowledge and methodologies to study the role of epigenetic mechanisms in the adaptation of plants to their environment in the context of global warming. The 5th conference of the COST Action EPI-CATCH), to be held in Bordeaux in July 2024, will provide the opportunity to present the latest research in the field of epigenetic regulation and memory of plants facing environmental stresses, considering both somatic and inter/transgenerational transmission of epigenetic information. In addition, the conference will address the question of epigenetic processes of plants interacting with various organisms (pathogenic or symbiotic) such as aphids, fungi or certain bacteria. When these organisms are themselves eukaryotes, work on the epigenetic mechanisms involved in their interaction with plants will also be addressed. Finally, the last theme will focus on the use of epigenetic mechanisms in plant improvement, raising the question of the issues and methodologies to be implemented to identify epigenetic diversity in a population and assess its consequences on the phenotypic diversity, plasticity and adaptation of plants - and, more broadly, holobionts - to their environment.